Protected point-of-sale display rack



June 23, 1970 s. A. WEISBLA+ 3,516,719

PROTECTED POINT-OF-SALE DISPLAY RACK Filed OCT.- 7, 1968 60% /9 W06 20 FM 2/ SIDNEY A. WEISBLAT INVENTOR.

779W KW AGENT.

United States Patent Office 3,516,719 Patented June 23, 1970 3,516,719 PROTECTED POINT- OF-SALE DISPLAY RACK Sidney A. Weisblat, 1047 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, Calif. 91101 Filed Oct. 7, 1968, Ser. No. 765,607 Int. Cl. Eb 65/46 U.S. Cl. 3-12216 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE For magnetic tape cartridge point-of-sale display racks or similar display furniture a locking gate mechanism has been devised incorporating a hinging rod upon which the gate can articulate and a separable locking rod. The gate permits viewing the merchandise in the display rack but prevents removal of any of the cartridges without first unlocking the separable locking rod to allow articulating the gate on its hinging rod to give access to the cartridges.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the current milieu continuous-play tape cartridge units are being widely used, especially in automobile stereo tape players. The market for such cartridge units is expanding as are the number and variety of pre-recorded tape cartridges which are becoming available.

Shops which vend the cartridges find it necessary to display the cartridge units flat so that the label on the face of the cartridges may be read easily. End labels do not provide as much information as do the face labels. Therefore, in point-of-sale display racks these cartridge units are placed flat face up to permit reading the entire legend on the cartridge label. It is on this basis that selections are made by the purchaser.

The open face display of cartridges creates a temptation for those who might like to pocket a cartridge without paying for it.

To protect himself the vendor must provide locked cabinets.

Prior art devices include cabinets with locked clear plastic or glass doors through which only the end labels may be viewed because in these prior art cabinets the cartridges are stacked one upon the other or on edge. This does not permit reading the entire legend listing the programs recorded on the tape cartridge. The edge label includes only the name of the artist and album title, but the face label lists the full program of musical numbers played.

THE PRESENT INVENTION In the present invention the dual problem of a fuller display and protection against theft is overcome by arranging the display in a contoured cabinet, the contoured surface of which rises vertically curving so as to permit viewing by a prospective purchaser of all tapes displayed without having to kneel.

The display case of this invention includes parallel rows of shallow shelves separated by a little more than the height of a tape cartridge standing on its end with the flat labeled surface facing the observer.

On each of the shelves is a gate fabricated from at least a pair of metallic rods or bars stretched parallel along the width of the shelves perpendicular to the upright axis of the cartridges placed on the shelves. The spacing between the bars permits observation of the cartridge labels but holds them against the back wall of the shallow shelves so that the cartridges may not be removed normally from the shelves.

The uppermost of the parallel rods is split and the adjoining ends equipped with the mating parts of a ratchet lock. The teeth of the ratcheted tongue of the lock slope in the opposite direction to the usual form of such locks because in the locked condition one seeks to prevent forcing the tongue further into the lock because the remote ends of the split rod or bar to which the lock parts are attached are inserted into receptacles in the sides of the display cabinet. The novel configuration of the lock (i.e. so as to operate opposite to the expected way in which such locks operate) prevents pulling the two halves of the rod toward one another to remove their ends from the receptacles, thereby permitting the articulation of the gate forward on the lowest rod.

When the key is used in the lock, halves of the uppermost split rod or bar may be moved together releasing the gate to articulate forward and downward to permit removal of a cartridge, after which the gate is returned to the cartridge holding position and the split rods reinserted into their receptacle by forcing the ratcheted tongue back out of the lock to hold the cartridges in place until the lock is again operated with a key to permit removal of a cartridge.

A representative form of the invention in several variants is illustrated in the drawings but the invention should not be construed to be limited to the specific embodiments illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification since those skilled in the arts appertaining to the invention will be able to devise other forms thereof in view of the teachings herein within the ambit of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a point-of-sale display cabinet employing several embodiments of the protective features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a left end view of the display cabinet shown in FIG. 1 including in part in phantom the shelves, displayed mechandise and protective features according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a detail in perspective of the upper left corner of the display cabinet or rack of FIG. 1 to show details of one embodiment of the protective device of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a cutaway partial cross-section of the top of an end piece of the display cabinet showing a cross-section of a receptacle for a locking rod part of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a detail similar to that in FIG. 3 showing a part of a shelf or compartment of the display case below that shown in FIG. 3 and including another form of protective device according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a front plan view of a ratchet lock used in the protective devices of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a top plan View of the ratchet lock shown in FIG. 6 to illustrate the attachment thereof to the protective devices of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a partially cross-sectional view through 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a partially cut-away and cross-sectional view of a cylinder lock used in the invention; and

FIG. 10 is a partially sectional exposed view through 10-10 of the lock shown in FIG. 9.

SPECIFICATION The details of the structure and operation of this invention are best understood with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The point-of-sale display cabinet or rack 10 can be seen to be contsructed of a pair of sloping backs 11 and 12 butting against one another between contoured end pieces 43. The contours of end pieces 43 follow the slope downward of the back terminating in a base 40 at the bottom of cabinet 10.

Shallowshelves 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 are disposed against the sloping surfaces of backs 11 and 12 between end pieces 43 forming in effect the elongated compartments 13, 14, 15, 16, 17.

In end pieces 43 ferrules 42 are installed from the inner surfaces 43a as may be seen in cross-section in FIG. 4. There are a pair of the ferrules 42 in the end pieces 43 in each or" the compartment areas 13-17 on both sides.

In each of the compartment areas 13-17 inclusive a gate assembly such as 60, for example, is installed into ferrules 42 as hereinbelow described.

In compartment 13 the gate 60 consists of a pivot rod 32- from which verticals 34 rise. Each of the verticals 34 is welded at one end to rod 32, and has a rod guide 35 welded to the opposite end. The opposite end, as can be seen at 59 in FIG. 3, is bent inward towards the back 12 of the display rack 10.

While six verticals 34 are shown on the gate 60 in compartment 13 the number may be more or fewer depending on the size of merchandise packages such as 41 (FIGS. 3 and 4) to be displayed in the rack or cabinet 10.

Through rod guides 35 a pair of rods 30, 31 are inserted slidably from the center of the gate 60 outwardly with the remote ends inserted into the ferrules 42 as may be seen for rod 30 in FIG. 4. Rods 30, 31 are movable laterally in rod guides 35.

A bracing rod 33 extends between the leftmost to the rightmost of the verticals 34 completing the gate along with rods 36, 31, 32 and the verticals 34.

A lock 28 is disposed at the center of the gate 60 at the junction of rods 30 and 31.

The end 46 of a ratcheted bar 47 is welded to the center end 53 of rod 30. The vertical 49 and slops 50 of the saw teeth on bar 47 are in a relation such that motion in the direction of arrow 55 is prevented by a tooth 56 (shown in phantom in FIG. 6). Tooth 56 is operated by the key slot 51 in lock housing 28 rotating on ring 48 therein when operated by a key such as 61.

The lock 28 has a back plate 52 which is welded to the center end 57 of rod 31.

cases, however, in the form used in this invention the saw teeth 49-50 on bar 47 are oppositely oriented from the normal ratchet lock configuration so as to preclude the motion of bar 47 in the direction of arrow 55, without a key.

In the usual form of such lock the motion of bar 47 is restricted in a direction opposite to that of arrow 55.

The purpose of the different orientation of teeth 49-50 in the present invention is so that rods 30-31 are kept from being moved toward the center of gate 60 without a key 61 inserted into key slot 51 being used.

Thus, when gate 60 is closed over merchandise packages 41 and rods 30, 31 pushed into ferrules 42 as in FIG. 3 and in compartment 13 of FIG. 1, the packages 41 cannot be removed.

However, using key 61 in slot 51 to pull the rods 40, 41 toward the center and thus pulling them (rods 30, 31) out of ferrules 42 in end pieces 43, the gate so is now free to articulate forward on rod 33 making it possible to lift a package of merchandise 41 from the rack.

The type-of merchandise 41 illustrated is a magnetic tape cartridge but it can be any other similarly packaged oods.

g In the embodiment of the point-of-sale display rack shown in FIGS. 1-5 inclusive a number of variants of the gate structures and locks are shown.

In the first compartment or shelf area 13 a gate 60a is shown. Gate 60a is further detailed in FIG. 3 so as to clearly show it to be for an open top shelf area of a cabinet or rack such as 10, 11, 12. This necessitates the verticals 34 being bent over as at 59 (FIG. 3) to receive rods 30, 31 in guide bushings such as 35 welded thereto.

In the second compartment or shelf area 14 the gate 6012 does not have the bent-over portions 59 on verticals 34. Instead there are shorter verticals supporting bushings such as 37 to receive slidable bars 26 and 27. The upper area of shelf area 14 is covered by shelf 18 so that there is no likelihood of vertical movement of the cartridges such as 41.

This condition is illustrated also in FIG. 5 by shelf 19. The gate 60c is shown in FIG. 5 in some detail. It is shown as another embodiment of the gate 60 according to this invention, where in place of the vertical 34 with end bushing 35 of gate 60a or bushing 37 on vertical 36 of gate 60b and gate 60d, gate 600 has blocks 38 in which a continuous rod 39 passes through the lower end of each block 38 acting as a proof for gate 600 while the upper end is drilled to receive the slidable rods such as 30, 31 like those also used in the top gate 60a. Gate 602 is like gate 600, and is used in shelf area 17.

The gate 60a as previously mentioned is like gate 60b and is used in shelf area 16.

Thus, several embodiments of gates 60a through 60e have been shown and described as to their configurational details.

Gates 60a-c are shown with locking mechanisms 28 (as previously described) thereon.

Gates 60d-e are shown with the cylinder lock configuration 29 illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 9 and 10.

In FIG. 9 the rear of a lock such as 29 is shown to illustrate how rods such as 26, 27 (as shown in shelf area 16 on gate 60d) are attached articulatingly by link bars 70-71 to a key bar 72. Key bar 72 has a slot 73 therein to receive a rectangular key on the end of cylinder 79' of lock 29. Link bars 70-71 articulate on pivots 74-77 in key bar 72 and rods 26, 27 so that when cylinder 79 is turned in lock 29 key 80 rotates bar 72 to move rods 26, 27 toward one another or apart from one another. In the former movement the gates such as 60d or 602 can be opened, the latter movement permits locking the rods into the ferrules such as 42 in end pieces 43 to prevent moving the gates forward protecting the mechandise on the shelves. As an alternative the end pieces 43 can simply be drilled to receive rods 30, 31 or articulating pivot rods such as 32 or 39.

There have been described above several embodiments of novel articulating and lockable gate structures 60a-e on an open point-of-sale display rack for packaged goods similar to magnetic tape cartridges of the type sold for automotive stereo players. Also illustrated are at least two embodiments of locks 28, 29 used in such gate structures by which the gates may be locked or released so as to protect the merchandise obtain access to the merchandise only with a key.

An important area of novelty is the use of slidable pairs of rods on the gate such as 30-31, 26-27, slidable outwardly by action of keys used in center mounted locks such as 28, 29 to lock the gates 60a-e in place or slidable inwardly to withdraw rods 30-31 or 26-27 from their ferrule receptacles in the side walls of the display rack 10 to permit the gate to be opened.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A protected point-of-sale display cabinet for magnetic tape continuous loop cartridges or similarly packaged merchandise, said cabinet comprising:

an open case wider than it is high having several rows of shallow shelves horizontally disposed in parallel on a sloping contoured back;

said shelves being adapted to receive and display continuous loop magnetic tape cartridges standing on their ends with the largest surfaces of said cartridges exposed to view;

said shelves being spaced apart to just clear the height of said cartridges;

end pieces on opposite sides of said ease extending forward to the extent of said shallow shelves;

a gate assembly on each of said shelves extending over the width of said case between said end pieces and each gate including a ratchet lock centered on said gate;

said gates including rods extending from said lock and being engageable in said end pieces;

said gates having a locked position over rows of said cartridges wherein said rods engage said end pieces and an open position wherein said rods are disengaged, and said gates being articulatable in said end pieces between said locked position and said open position only when said lock is operated to disengage said rods from said end pieces.

2. In the display cabinet defined in claim 1 said locks being ratchet locks including a lock guide and toothed bar slidable therein and engageable in said guide in said locked position, said guide and said toothed bar being respectively connected to said rods whereby said rods are slidably moved between said locked and said open positions of said gates.

3. In the display cabinet defined in claim 1 said locks are cylinder locks with a key bar extending therefrom, and having links articulatingly engaged between said key bar and said rods whereby said rods may be slidably moved by said locks between a locked and an open position of said gates.

4. The display cabinet defined in claim 1 wherein each of said gates comprises:

a lower bar extending between said end pieces and being rotatably engaged therein;

upright posts welded to each said lower bar, each of said upright posts having transverse bores near the top thereof, the bores in each of said posts being in 'alinement horizontally one to the other;

a pair of upper rods being slidably inserted in said transverse bores each extending respectively from the center to opposite end pieces of said case and the remote ends of said rods being engaged in said end pieces, the near ends meeting at the center;

a lock including a ratcheted tongue element and a key operated pawl assembly therein and having a slot therethrough to receive said tongue, the teeth of said ratchet being in engagement with said pawl assembly so as to permit ready movement of said tongue in a direction away from said pawl assembly without use of a key and to prevent the further insertion of said tongue into said pawl assembly unless said key is used to lift said pawl from said ratcheted tongue element, and;

said ratcheted tongue element being securely welded to the center end of one of said pair of upper rods and said key operated pawl assembly being securely welded to the center end of the other of said pair of upper rods, said tongue and pawl assembly fitting together in lockable engagement to normally hold said upper rods in engagement with said end pieces preventing the movement forward and downward of said gate so long as said upper rods have been moved apart from one another, said lock preventing their being moved toward one another unless a key is used to release said pawls, whereupon said gate can be rotated forward articulating on said lower bar.

5. In a display cabinet for continuous loop magnetic tape cartridges or similarly packaged merchandise, said cabinet having a plurality of shelves and end pieces sup porting said shelves,

a lockable gate disposed in each of said shelves and comprising:

upper rods in horizontal in-line alinement, the remote ends thereof being slidably engaged in said end pieces and the adjacent ends having respectively the two parts of a ratchet lock including a ratchet tongue and a key operated pawl assembly adapted to receive said tongue and engage the ratchet teeth of said tongue, the slope angle of the teeth of said ratchet tongue being such as to prevent normaly moving said upper rods toward one another unless the key operated pawl assembly is lifted from said teeth by use of a key; and

a lower rod articulatingly engaged in said end pieces and having upright posts welded thereto, said posts being bored to receive slidably said upper rods;

said upper rods, said lower rod and said uprights forming a gate normally secured against rotation when both said upper rods and said lower rod are engaged in said end pieces, to prevent the removal of merchandise from said shelves, said gate being rotatable on said lower rod when said key operated pawl assembly is operated by a key to permit pulling said upper rods toward one another out of said end pieces whereby merchandise on said shelves is accessible.

6. In a display cabinet for continuous loop magnetic tape cartridges or similarly packaged merchandise, said cabinet having a plurality of shelves and end pieces supporting said shelves.

a lockable gate disposed in each of said shelves and comprising:

upper rods in horizontal in-line alinement, the remote ends thereof being slidably engaged in said end pieces and the adjacent ends having respectively two links articulatingly connected with a cylinder lock, said lock including a key bar and a key operated cylinder assembly engaging said key bar, said links being connected to said key bar;

a lower rod articulatingly engaged in said end pieces and having upright posts welded thereto, said posts including guide bushings welded thereto to slidably receive said upper rods;

said upper rods and said lower rod and said uprights forming a gate normally secured against rotation when both said upper rods and said lower rod are engaged in said end pieces, to prevent the removal of mechandise from said shelves, said gate being rotatable on said lower rod when said key operated cylinder lock is operated by a key to permit pulling said upper rods toward one another out of said end pieces whereby mechandise on said shelves is accessible.

7. A protected display cabinet comprising:

vertical end pieces having rod receptacles therein;

parallel rows of shallow shelves fixedly disposed between said end pieces to support packaged mechandise so as to display the largest surface thereof to view;

a back wall between said end pieces against said shelves;

over each of said shelves a gate including at least a pair of metallic rods engaging said rod receptacles stretched in parallel across the width of said cabinet over said flat surfaces of said merchandise packages, the spacing between said rods being such as to hold said merchandise against said back wall while permitting said surface to remain in view;

the uppermost of said parallel rods being separated at the center to form two rod halves; and

a lock engaging said separated halves of said uppermost rod at said center;

said lock having parts operable by a key, said lock parts engaging said rod halves so as to pull them towards the center or push them out to engage or disengage the remote ends thereof from said rod receptacles in said end pieces when operated by the key;

whereby said gate may be articulated away from said merchandise for access thereto when said separated halves are disengaged from said end pieces.

8. The display cabinet defined in claim 7 wherein said lock parts include a ratchet lock pawl on one-half of said uppermost rod and a saw-toothed bar on the other half of said rod, the teeth on said bar being oriented to normally prevent motion of said rod halves toward one another without use of a key in said ratchet lock pawl.

9. The display cabinet defined in claim 7 wherein said lock parts include a key operated cylinder, a bar on said cylinder and articulating links between said bar on said cylinder and the separated ends of said uppermost rods at the center of said gate, whereby said rods may be moved toward one another When said key operated cylinder is activated by a key to disengage the remote ends of said uppermost rod from said end pieces.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 541,433 6/1895 Ethier et a1. 211-128 1,203,809 11/1916 Swikard 211-7 8 OgnoWicz 292-36 X Harshman 211-128 Edmonds et a1. 292-5 Kobs 211-128 X Dale 292-36 Cover 49-280 U.S. C1. X.R. 

